We have been getting our ducks in a row for the Wacky Quacky Ducky Derby and it is impossible to be in a “fowl” mood when we are working on such a fun event! Yellow rubber ducks are everywhere just waiting to be adopted!
Don’t wait until the last minute to adopt your ducks! “Waddle” you do if you forget or we run out of ducks? Someone is going to “feather their nest” with the McClary Ford $1,000 Cash Grand Prize, and if you don’t have a duck in the race, it won’t be YOU! You don’t have to be present to win, and you can adopt ducks online in the comfort of your own home.
Why Support KALB?
Our fundraisers support programs and projects throughout the year such as environmental education programs available to all Athens City, Limestone County, and private school classrooms, the Adopt-A-Spot program, clean and green events, annual seedling give-away, Elk River cleanups, our annual Earth Day & Outdoor EXPO, litter awareness campaigns, presentations designed for youth and adult groups, recycling information and education, and so much more!
It is vital that our children (and adults, too) understand the importance of their natural world and how it all fits together. We offer lessons and activities that bring these messages home. There are four things we need to survive: clean air, clean water, food, and shelter. Our planet provides all of those things, but it is up to us to make sure we protect our air and water from pollution, our food from poisons, and our forests from overcutting.
At our last Earth Day event, I gently reminded a man that the cigarette butt he had just tossed contained poisons that leach into our soil and water. He just looked at me as if I had two heads, laughed, and said “I was looking for the car show anyway.” I picked up his cigarette litter. It is not a sign of weakness to care about our natural resources and want to do our part to protect our corner of this planet. We depend on the earth for so much!
How Does the Duck Race Work?
For every $5.00 donation made to KALB, a rubber racing duck will be entered into the race in your name.
For a $25 donation, you will receive a Papa Murphy’s Quack Pack which includes 6 ducks, a coupon for 50% off your entire order at Papa Murphy’s in Athens, and your name will be entered into a drawing for $300 cash sponsored by American Leakless Company.
The ducks will be divided into heats and raced down the spillway at Big Spring Memorial Park in Athens beginning at 4:00 p.m. The total number of heat winners will match the number of prizes we have to give away. Heat winners will then swim in the Championship Race to determine the prize won by the owner of each duck. The first duck through the trap wins the $1,000 Grand Prize.
How to Adopt Ducks
There are several ways to adopt ducks. Stop into the KALB office located at 125 East Street in Athens to complete an adoption form. You may also visit our tent at the Athens Grease Festival on September 27th and the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention on 10/3-10/4 (cutoff time is 1:00 p.m. on 10/4), or you can adopt ducks online. Visit KALBCares.com and follow the links to the Wacky Quacky Ducky Derby page where you will find links for duck adoptions and to make your payment. You will also find a link that will allow you to print off a duck adoption form. Just mail it or drop it off at the KALB office.
Help KALB make a difference in the future of Limestone County through environmental education and community action. Please call us if you’d like a speaker at your gathering or event! There is always something new to learn.
By: Lynne Hart
